“And it will be.” His hands were gently cupping her face. “You’ll go through it all and come out clean and bright. It will be fine. I promise you.”
“I’ll be better soon.” She should move away from him, but she felt warm and treasured with his hands cupping her cheeks. She needed to feel as if she was more than the pawn in Millet’s dirty game. “I have to think how we’ll be able to handle this. I should call Roland, but nothing is clear right now.”
“It will be clear soon.” He was looking down into her eyes. His own eyes were dark and soft, and she couldn’t look away from them. So much gentleness, so much sensuality, so much intensity, that she was caught, held. It was flowing over her, around her, within her.
His hands left her face and moved to her shoulders. “Stop fighting. You don’t have to be strong right now. It’s not going to make any difference. I’m the only one here, and I’ll never judge you.” He was pulling her close. “You helped me. Now let me help you.”
She could hear his heart beneath her ear, and she didn’t move. She was safe, wonderfully content, enfolded in velvet darkness.
“That’s right, Jane,” he whispered. “Come dream with me . . .”
MILLET IS COMING, EVE
thought hazily. She could hear his footsteps on the marble tiles in the hall. Concentrate. She had to focus. It was difficult with her shoulder throbbing with hot pain. Fever. It must be getting infected
.
Ignore it. She had to concentrate on doing what Jane needed from her
.
“You and your dear Jane are going to be reunited,” Millet said mockingly as he unlocked the door and entered the room. “She’s going to do the right thing and save you from the knife like a good daughter. I couldn’t wait to rush here and tell you.”
“Because you knew it would hurt me.” She slowly sat up on the cot. “You’re chock-full of malice and satisfaction and who better to share it with than a victim?”
His smile faded. “But you’re not giving me all the satisfaction that I hoped. Where is your fear? I thought that if I gave you time alone, you’d have to time to think and anticipate.”
“And dread?” She met his gaze. “Because it doesn’t matter what deal you struck with Jane. You’re not going to let me go. You’ll kill me the minute you get your hands on Jane.”
“That’s not true,” he said softly. “I won’t have time to toy with her before the Offering. I feel cheated. It’s only right that I keep you alive for a short while to amuse me.”
“And then I’ll end up on the altar, too?”
“A private Offering. It will be convenient. You’re here. Your death might as well be dedicated to the Master. His light will shine brighter on me.”
“How can you believe that?”
“How can I not? Look how far I’ve climbed. In the village, I lived with a father and mother who beat me and told me that I would never climb out of that dungheap. Now I’m the Guardian. I can have anything or anyone that pleases me. It had to be Judas showing his pleasure in everything I do.”
She shook her head. “You just changed dungheaps.”
His lips tightened. “Arrogant bitch. You’re just like Jane MacGuire.”
“Thank you.” She had to curb her tongue. This wasn’t the way to find out anything but what a degenerate scumbag he was. She was silent a moment. “You think you’re king of this pile of crap you call a temple. When you brought me here, I didn’t see anything impressive about it. It’s small, not much ornamentation, a copy of a dozen other temples I saw in Greece. That makes you king of nothing.”
His cheeks flushed. “It’s magnificent. Hadar said we had no need of pomp. We have the Offering Room, and that’s all that’s important to Judas.”
“And your glorious Offering Room is probably as unimpressive as the rest of this place. You made sure I didn’t see it when we came here.” She added deliberately, “As unimpressive as you must be when you make your so-called Offering. Do they laugh at you, Millet?”
He was cursing beneath his breath. She had thought that last taunt would tip the balance
.
He strode toward her and jerked her off the cot to her feet. “They worship me. They know how important I am. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes were glittering, and his grip on her arm was bruising. “But I’ll show you. You’ll see where your Jane MacGuire is going to die. You’ll see where you’re going to die.” He was pulling her toward the door. “You’ll see all the power and feel the souls who have gone before you.”
Good. He was taking her from the room. For a moment she had been afraid she would only loose that sadistic streak. It had been a precarious balance. “You don’t have to pull me. I’m not fighting you.”
He released her, then frowned as he saw her sway. “You’re weak. Can you walk?”
“I can walk.” She got her balance and headed for the door. She was weak. Ignore it, she said to herself. “I have a little fever.”
“What? Not as strong as you thought you were?” He opened the door. “Come along. I can’t wait to see a little more of that strength crumble.”
The corridor was straight, with no doors on either side. High ceilings, with a coffered stone inset. Guards. They turned left at the end of the corridor and went a hundred yards, then faced a huge arched doorway guarded by another two men dressed in black leather
.
How many other guards had they passed? Two at her door. Four on the long corridor. I’m trying, Jane
.
Millet gestured mockingly for her to precede him through the arched doorway. “The Offering Room.”
She went through the doorway and stopped in shock. It looked like a small stadium, with at least forty rows of stone benches. In the center was a black granite altar facing a wall on which the Judas mosaic hovered like a dark vulture
.
“I told you. It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” Millet asked. He pointed to a spot on the left side of the altar. “That’s where I stand. Where all the audience can see me.” He smiled. “And the Offering can see me. In that
moment, they know I’m a god. Able to take their life or give it. I can see it in their eyes.” He held Eve’s gaze. “I’ll see that look in her eyes.”
She tore her eyes away from him to the far left, where a ramp led into the stadium. “Where does that go?”
“Outside. No member is permitted in the temple until the time of the Offering. Then they can only come to the stadium. They have to understand that they may have power in their own world, but here I’m the only power.”
“As long as you stay Guardian. What if they boot you out?”
“That won’t happen. I keep my eye on anyone who seems unstable. They have accidents. Or become candidates for the Offering.”
“But you were afraid of the consequences if they found out you’d lost Hadar’s Tablet.”
He scowled. “I wasn’t afraid. It was a matter that had to be addressed. The tablet is considered holy. I’ll find a way to get it back after I get rid of the MacGuire woman.”
“How many members will be here tomorrow night?”
“Between nine hundred and a thousand. There are a few thousand more around the world, but if they have an adequate excuse, they’re permitted to excuse themselves once every five years. It’s important that they attend frequently, not only to do homage but to witness. Witnesses can be declared accomplices in a court of law. Guilt is the strongest bond in the world. I have photos taken of everyone who attends the Offering and make sure they know that the pictures are kept in a safe place.”
“Blackmail? Charming. And you decide what excuse is adequate?”
“Of course, I’m the Guardian. I rule the Offering.” He turned to her. “I’ve decided I’ll let you see the MacGuire Offering tomorrow night. It will be thrilling for you. The roar of the crowd, the chanting. I’m the king. I’m death. They all fear me. It will be a preview of your own private ceremony.”
“I can hardly wait.”
His exhilaration faded. “You’re not as nervous as I hoped.” He studied her. “Perhaps it’s because you’re ill. Your cheeks are flushed, and your lips are so dry, they’re cracked. I may have to have Faruk fly you in some antibiotics. I don’t want your reactions to be dulled.”
“Perish the thought.” She had obviously seen all she was going to see. Guards. Corridors. Main ramp to the stadium. Now, give him something to make him think he’d won. “You’ve proved your point. This Offering Room is . . . a little frightening. I’m ready to go back to my room.”
“It’s my decision whether you go or stay.” Then he slowly nodded. “But maybe you did have a jolt. Now you know that the Offering is actually going to happen. It can’t be stopped. For two thousand years, the Master has taken his vengeance.”
“And how many times have you presided?”
“Seventeen at the Offerings themselves.”
“And I’d bet hundreds more on the side.”
He smiled. “But experience is a fine teacher. The members don’t like a quick cut. They want a scream or two, and I know just how to please them.” He gestured. “Now we’ll go back and let you rest and absorb. I want you fresh for tomorrow night.”
She headed for the arch. She was dizzier than she had been when they started. She was glad that she’d been able to concentrate on the way to the Offering Room
.
Did you get it, Jane?
I’ll try again later, but this may have been my best chance
.
I hope you were with me. . . .
GOT
it!
Darkness lessening, Jane realized.
Gray.
Lighter.
Lighter still.
Fast. So fast.
Much faster than the last time.
Caleb!
Her lids flew open.
No Caleb.
She was no longer in his arms as she had been when she had gone to sleep. She was still in the car but leaning against the passenger door.
She sat up groggily and pushed her hair back from her face. Where was Caleb? Had he gone back into the bar? She had to tell him about the temple. She had to tell him that Eve—
They weren’t in the bar parking lot any longer.
Her heart was pounding with panic as she realized where the car was parked now.
It was a few yards from the door of Faruk’s hangar.
There should be a way I can work it out, Caleb had said.
No!
She opened the passenger door and was out of the car in seconds.
No. No. No.
She threw open the door of the hangar. The harsh overhead lights were blazing.
And Caleb was crumpled on the floor across the room.
She ran toward him.
White. So white.
Blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Dead?
Please God. Don’t let him be dead.
She fell to her knees on the concrete. Was he breathing? “Why?”
Tears were pouring down her cheeks. “Dammit, why would you do this? Don’t you die. Do you hear me? Don’t you die, Caleb.”
“I . . . hear you.” His eyes were still closed. “I’m . . . not dying. I need to rest. It was . . . not fun.”
Relief, then anger. “Stupid. Incredibly stupid.” She couldn’t stop the tears. “After what happened to you before, you went right back for an encore?”
“We needed to know where the temple is located.” His eyes opened. “Faruk . . . knew.” He smiled. “Tears?” He reached up and touched her damp cheek. “Nice . . .”
“You don’t deserve them.”
“Of course I do. I’m a hero. I saved the day.”
She wiped her cheeks on the back of her hand. “There’s blood coming out of your mouth. Do you have internal injuries?”
“Nothing so dramatic. I bit my tongue when I was trying to persuade Faruk.” He struggled up on one elbow. “I think I was clenching my teeth. I don’t remember.”
“Where is Faruk?”
“Over there, behind the plane. He’s fast asleep. He’ll stay that way for the next two hours. When he wakes, he’ll think he was just exhausted and curled up for a nap.”
She stared at him in bewilderment. “How? I
saw
you. He nearly put you into shock before. And you said that you got out before he caused any real damage.”
“I had to find a way to go in without being pulled deep.” The color was coming back into his cheeks and he sat up. “I told you, it was like sinking into a quagmire. You either walk carefully, lightly, over a marsh, or you skirt around it. I’ve been diving in and backing out.” He added, “The problem is that I’m very strong. And the only way I could walk lightly was to divide my attention.”
“When you put me to sleep,” she said.
“And kept you asleep. It worked . . . sort of. Even then, it was difficult as hell.” He added soberly, “I was able to get Faruk to give me coordinates and draw a rough map of the area around the temple. But there’s no way I’d be able to keep him under control if I tried to make him take us there.” He frowned. “Unless I can think of a—”
“We don’t need him,” she interrupted quickly. “You found out everything we have to know. We can send the coordinates to Joe. You’re sure Faruk is just sleeping?”
“See for yourself.” He got to his feet. “Maybe I’d better check. You were coming back out of the dream stage when I was putting him under. I was distracted.”
Faruk was slumbering peacefully, curled on his side.
“He won’t remember?”
“No, he won’t remember anything but talking to me about a rug shipment and deciding the money wasn’t good enough.” He took her elbow. “Eve?”
“She has a fever. That bastard hasn’t given her any antibiotics.” She smiled grimly. “But she made sure I can draw a map of the interior of the temple and that I know the number of guards in each corridor.”
“What a unique woman.” He moved toward the door. “Then let’s get out of here and find a place where we can send the info to Joe Quinn and Venable. We’ve still got a long way to go, but now we’ve got a start.”
Long way? They had to juggle Roland and Millet and some thousand or so cult members and try to keep Eve alive. Damn right, they had a hell of a long way to go.